Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ernest A. Love Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Prescott, Arizona 86314
Saturday, August 28, 2004 8:31 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Two identically painted American Champion 8KCAB airplanes (N561ER and N562ER) collided in flight while performing a formation aerobatic hammerhead maneuver. The airport was hosting an airshow where the accident pilots were going to perform a formation aerobatic routine. Witnesses observed the two airplanes practicing the routine on several different occasions during the previous months, and had become familiar with it. They said that when the accident happened, a vertical climb was initiated with both airplanes side-by-side, and at the apex of the maneuver, one or both of the airplanes moved out of their normal positions, and they became stacked one on top of the other. After the airplanes initial contact, witnesses observed several additional contacts as the airplanes fell to the ground. Color transfers, damage patterns, and witness marks found that the propeller of N561ER made multiple contacts to the engine compartment and cockpit of N562ER, while contact between the left lift strut of N562ER and the empennage of N561ER damaged and separated the vertical and horizontal stabilizers of N561ER. An airframe and engine examination of both airplanes revealed no mechanical discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation and control.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of both pilots to maintain adequate clearance from each other while performing formation aerobatic maneuvers.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/28/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 831 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Prescott |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86314 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 343735N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1121440W |
| Event Location Airport | ERNEST A. LOVE FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PRC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 7 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5045 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PRC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5045 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21263 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 28 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 850 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2007 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-SDL-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N561ER | N562ER |
| NTSB Number | LAX04FA304A | LAX04FA304B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes | No |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | American Champion (ACAC) | American Champion (ACAC) |
| Aircraft Model | 8KCAB | 8KCAB |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 934-2003 | 935-2003 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1950 | 1950 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2004 12:00AM | Aug 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 39.6 | 26.1 |
| Airframe Hours | 286.5 | 264.9 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3700 Willow Creek Rd. | 3700 Willow Creek Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Prescott | Prescott |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 86301 | 86301 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | -- | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | -- | -- |
| Operator State | -- | -- |
| Operator Country | -- | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- | -- |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PRC | PRC |
| Departure City | Prescott | Prescott |
| Departure State | AZ | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 818 | 818 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PRC | PRC |
| Destination City | -- | -- |
| Destination State | -- | -- |
| Destination Country | -- | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2007 5:28PM | Mar 19 2007 5:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA | NA |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |